Dragon Descendant

[Vasja]

What do the optimizers on the board think of Dragon Descendant from Dragon Magic?

Is the class useful at all?
What are the best builds using the class?

[Pluto]

What do the optimizers on the board think of Dragon Descendant from Dragon Magic?

Is the class useful at all?
What are the best builds using the class?

It's okay. There's not much to say that's outstandingly positive or negative.

Its abilities just aren't very unique. Most can be replicated with feats. They beat Monk levels, though.

The class doesn't help with mobility woes, but with Complete Champion out, that's not such a big deal. (Travel Devotion, Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian)

Level 2's neat. Bardic Knowledge is a fun ability and with this class's mechanic, you can boost it pretty high. The thing is that the ability isn't rare: Knowledge skills and divinations can typically do the same (and someone in most parties is bound to have one or the other). The ability is fun and useful regardless.

Level 3's very nice. Sneak Attack's good with flurry, especially with Craven from Champions of Ruin.

Level 9 is pretty fantastic with PHB2's Decisive Strike variant. Find some way to draw attacks (lockdown methods, being scary by yourself, etc.) and you'll have a very respectable damage output.

[If retraining's an option, I would stick with FoB until the level 9 ability and then switch to DS]

The rest is pretty forgettable. I'd say the class beats most Monk or Monk PrC's, but probably comes up short compared to Sacred Fist, Swordsage, Talashatora and Fist of Zuoken builds, just because it doesn't provide new options beside Bardic Knowledge.

It's not a bad way to turn a Monk into a melee threat and would probably be a good fit in 90% of the games I've played.